January 05, 2012

Asian Tofu Update: First Review and Ebook News

Asian Tofu won't be released until February 28 but several weeks ago, Ten Speed Press sent a limited number of advance copies to media outlets. It's a bit like fishing as you never know what you'll catch.

hat said, I was very suprised (actually, relieved!) to read this January 2, 2012 review from Publisher's Weekly, a well-regarded industry organization:

The focus of this volume is specific but very deep. Nguyen (Into the Vietnamese Kitchen) knows her tofu, and she shares its history, a comprehensive guide to its variations, and a homemade tofu tutorial. And for cooks who don’t aspire to DIY bean curd, this single-subject book offers 75 surprisingly diverse recipes featuring tofu as a star ingredient. Flavor-packed entries include spiced tofu and vegetable fritters; soft tofu and seafood hot pot; tofu and vegetables in coconut milk; and spicy lemongrass tofu salad. Just because it’s all about tofu doesn’t mean it’s vegetarian; while there are certainly meatless and vegan options, the tofu steak burgers, for example, are topped with bacon. Tofu-centric desserts, such as cashew and cardamom fudge and tofu tiramisu are surprisingly tempting. Fans of Asian flavors who want to dig into a versatile ingredient will appreciate Nguyen’s thorough effort.

Publisher's Weekly doesn't mess around. I hope this short-and-sweet review of Asian Tofu signals good things to come. It sure is a nice way to start off!

What am I doing now? We are putting together the enhanced e-version of the book. There will be about 15 extra pieces of content -- instructional videos, short movies, and slide shows.

Jaded Palate, a San Franciso-based production company founded by advertising veteran Faith Wheeler, is working with me and Ten Speed Press on the videos. Above is a photo of the video shoot in mid-December. We are reviewing and polishing rough cuts this week.

Meanwhile, editor Melissa Moore, designer Betsy Stromberg and I are crafting the other digital components. We're tailoring the ecookbook to be as nifty as the bound book.

It's a little stressful now because all of the assets need to be sent to Random House's digital publication team very very soon. (I'm also working on two newspaper articles that are due next week.) But all is good and very exciting.